At this time Mayor Renda swore in returning Council Member Monica Sturgis and new Council Members Gary Sherck and Paul Stanard. Mayor Renda congratulated the Council members and stated that she looks forward to a very productive year and continuing the fine leadership that has been given to the Village in the past.

Mayor Renda stated that the Village Charter requires that the Council Organizational Meeting be held within the first 7 days of the year. The meeting was scheduled for January 7; however due to the extreme cold, it was decided to cancel the meeting. She stated that the County advised her to urge the residents to stay off the streets and so she felt that she could not ask them to stay out of the cold and ask them to attend a Council Meeting at the same time. Mayor Renda stated that she was reluctant to delay the meeting, because she did not want to go against the Charter, however, she decided that it was an emergency situation.

Mr. Fritz made a motion seconded by Mr. Richman to approve the minutes of the last Organizational Council Meeting of January 7, 2013.

Police Department
Chief Canter began by welcoming and congratulating the new and returning Council Members. He reported that the change over for the new Dispatch Center is complete and it has been operating as of this week. Chief Canter stated that the he is happy to report that the Holiday Season was very uneventful for the Police Department.

Finance Department
Mr. Shah stated that they just finished closing the books for 2013 and the Village is currently operating on a temporary budget for 2014 that was approved by Council in November. He stated that they are also in the process of putting the 2014 budget together using the “wish lists” from all the departments.

Service Department
Mayor Renda reported on the Service Department since Mr. DeWater was not in attendance. She stated that the Service Department has been very busy. The salt order volume so far this year was 1200 tons; last year at this time they only ordered 250 tons. Mayor Renda stated that beginning in 2014, the Service Department will resume managing the pump stations again. It was determined to be more efficient and less expensive than having Ake manage them. Ake will, however, still operate the Greentree Wastewater station as that is the only full wastewater plant and the Service Department does not have the proper certifications to do so. She stated that the purchase of a fully automated rubbish truck is on the agenda tonight. The vendor has indicated that there is a 2014 model, however the availability is limited. If the legislation were not to pass tonight, then there would be an 11% increase in price. The purchase of snow plow truck is also on the agenda. It will replace MH 7 which is two years past its life span; there is a hole in the floor and the fire wall has been compromised between the engine compartment and the driver’s cab, the transmission case has stress fractures, and the wiring has salt damage, and in addition to this, the truck loses 6 quarts of engine oil for every 24 hours of operation during a snow storm.

Mayor Renda asked Council Members if they would like for her to renew their membership to NOCCA (Northeast Ohio City Council Association); she asked whether or not they were going to utilize it. Mr. Richman stated that while they have not attended all the meetings, the ones they have gone to have been productive and he would recommend the renewal. Mayor Renda stated that as long as it is worthwhile and they will continue to utilize it, then she will renew the membership.

Appointments and Confirmations
Mayor Renda asked for a nomination for Council President for 2014.

Mr. Fritz nominated Monica Sturgis to continue as Council President for 2014. Mayor Renda stated that she believes a continuation in leadership is a great idea, given the fact that there are new Council members.

There being no other nominations, Mayor Renda declared nominations closed.

Mayor Renda stated that she thought having Mr. Stanard on the Planning Commission was a good thing since it too will bring continuity since there will be some changes on Planning Commission as well as the fact that the commission is still getting used to the changes that were made to the Zoning Code.

Mayor Renda congratulated Mr. Fritz and thanked him for his service and stated that she looks forward to working with him as Planning Chair.

Mayor Renda stated that at this time, it is her pleasure to appoint two resident members to the Planning Commission. She stated that she will need Council’s confirmation of her appointments. She stated that she would like to appoint Melanie Corcoran to a six year term, which will expire on December 31, 2019. Mayor Renda stated that Ms. Corcoran, who is an attorney at Baker, has served the Village previously, first on the Charter Review Commission and secondly on the Assessment Equalization Board, when the Village was considering the dedication of River Mountain and Mountain View Drive. She stated that she has known Ms. Corcoran for 6 or 7 years, and first met her when she and Mr. Fritz were trying to improve response time for EMS and Fire on the western side of the Village. Mayor Renda stated that Ms. Corcoran was very engaged and thoughtful, as well as calm and rational when others were not. She stated that she is very impressed with the way she thinks and analyzes. Ms. Corcoran will serve her community well.

Mr. Stanard made a motion seconded by Ms. Sturgis to confirm the appointment of Melanie Corcoran to the Planning Commission for a term ending on December 31, 2019.

Mayor Renda stated that the second appointment she would like to make to the Planning Commission is Robin Cooper. Mrs. Cooper was first appointed to the Planning Commission in 2002 and has been on and off the commission ever since. Mrs. Cooper was appointed to Council in 2007, ran and was elected, and was re-elected for a second term. Mayor Renda stated that it has been a great pleasure working with Mrs. Cooper and that she is very thoughtful and dedicated to the Village. Mayor Renda stated that Mrs. Cooper is not only interested in numbers, which she is great at, but also aesthetics, which has made her a wonderful addition to the Planning Commission. She stated that Mrs. Cooper will offer great stability as we move forward. Mrs. Cooper will be appointed to Mr. Stanard’s un-expired term of two years, which will expire December 31, 2015.

Ms. Sturgis made a motion seconded by Mr. Fritz to confirm the appointment of Robin Cooper to the Planning Commission for Mr. Stanard’s un-expired term of two years, ending on December 31, 2015.

At this time, Mayor Renda swore in Melanie Corcoran and Robin Cooper as Planning Commission members.

Mayor Renda asked Council Members if they would be opposed to changing the start time of the Planning Commission/BZA Meetings from 5:00p.m. to 6:00p.m. She stated that several members have voiced their difficulty in getting to the meeting(s) from work by 5:00p.m.

Mr. Stanard made a motion seconded by Mr. Richman to change the meeting time for the Planning Commission and BZA meetings from 5:00p.m. to 6:00p.m.

Mayor Renda noted that Council has the opportunity to define their own schedule; however, traditionally Council meetings are known to be at 7 p.m. on the second Wednesday of each month. There was general consensus that the meeting date and time should be kept the same.

Mayor Renda stated that the committee structure and the schedule of the committee meetings for 2014 was the next topic of discussion. Ms. Sturgis stated that Village Ordinances have organized Council into various committees, which have been reduced considerably. She stated that it was discussed at last Organizational meeting to lessen the amount of committee meetings further. Currently, the Village is operating with two committees; Roads & Safety Committee and Facilities Committee. In the spirit of keeping with continuity and in order to give each Council member the opportunity to work with the residents and/or the employees, she stated that she is proposing that the two committees remain. The consensus was to keep the committee meetings on the fourth Monday of the month at 7:30am and 8:00am.

Mr. Richman stated that in the past, Mr. Wortzman has acted as the Finance Liaison. He stated that Mr. Sherck has an extensive financial background; twenty years as a CPA and a government auditor. Therefore, Mr. Richman recommended Mr. Sherck as the Finance Liaison. Mayor Renda stated that she has spoken with Mr. Shah and Mrs. Ingrassia, Finance Assistant about this and since Mr. Shah is attending all of the Council Meetings, she stated that it is not as critical that Council has a Finance Liaison right now. She stated that she would also like to point out that while Mr. Sherck has plenty of experience in finance, he does not have much experience on Council. Mayor Renda stated that he need not be overburdened in the beginning so that he can get his feet under him as a Councilman. She stated that she was going to propose that when it comes time to introduce finance legislation that each Council member will get a chance because it is important that all members stay engaged and take responsibility for understanding what they are voting on. There is no other area that is more important for Council members than understanding the finances and making sure that your tax dollars are being spent wisely as well as making sure there are adequate funds in reserve. Mayor Renda stated that her suggestion for this year would be to not fill the Finance Liaison position, but instead have all members try to be more engaged. She stated that perhaps next year it can be revisited. Mr. Richman agreed that it is important that all members are aware of the finances. He suggested that Mr. Shah give a quarterly report to Council on finances like Mr. Wortzman used to provide. Mayor Renda stated to Mr. Sherck that she appreciates his deep knowledge in finance and that she thinks it’s great that he would be willing to do this, however, she thinks that it is important for everyone to be well-rounded; every Council member has strengths in their backgrounds, but they all need to be generalists. She stated that she would like Mr. Sherck to take a year to understand everything that is going on in the Village. Mr. Sherck stated that he understands that, however, he is interested in seeing the financial statements and would like to work closely with Mr. Shah to understand the Village finances better. Mayor Renda agreed that it is important that Mr. Sherck learns, but she stated that she believes it is important to learn before you teach. Mr. Fritz stated that he believes having Mr. Shah attend the meetings will be very helpful to everyone.

ORDINANCES AND RESOLUTIONS:

ORDINANCE 2014-01 – Introduced by Ms. Sturgis
AN ORDINANCE PROVIDING FOR THE EMPLOYMENT OF CHAGRIN VALLEY ENGINEERING, LTD., AND JEFFREY J. FILARSKI AS ENGINEER FOR THE VILLAGE OF MORELAND HILLS, AND DECLARING AN EMERGENCY.

Ms. Sturgis stated that this is renewal of the contract with our Village Engineer, Jeff Filarski, who is a Professional Engineer, registered in the State of Ohio. There is a compensation increase of about 3% over a two year period.

Ms. Sturgis made a motion seconded by Mr. Stanard to suspend the rules for Ordinance 2014-01.

Ms. Sturgis made a motion seconded by Mr. Fritz for passage of Ordinance 2014-01. Mr. Stanard stated that there is no term referenced in the agreement; it only refers to Exhibit A. He asked if it could be more clear that it is a two year agreement without the referral to Exhibit A. Mrs. Lane stated that the Ordinance could be amended, however she believes it is okay the way it is. Mayor Renda stated that any back-up material for an ordinance is attached to the legislation in the Village records.

ORDINANCE 2014-03 – Introduced by Ms. Sturgis
AN ORDINANCE AUTHORIZING THE MAYOR TO ENTER INTO AN AGREEMENT WITH WALTER|HAVERFIELD LLP FROM JANUARY 8, 2014 THROUGH THE JANUARY 2016 ORGANIZATIONAL MEETING AND DECLARING AN EMERGENCY.

Ms. Sturgis stated that this ordinance allows for Walter|Haverfield to continue serving as the Village’s legal counsel, as well as Margaret Cannon as the Law Director and Aimee Lane as the Assistant Law Director, for a duration of two years. She stated that the cost structure is being presented a little differently; there is a Stop-Loss of $8500 on a retainer, after the retainer is met there will be a $225/hour partner rate and $175/hour associate rate that will apply after the $8,500 stop-loss is met. The Mayor will receive a monthly statement regarding the usage of hours.

Ms. Sturgis made a motion seconded by Mr. Stanard to suspend the rules for Ordinance 2014-03.

Ms. Sturgis made a motion seconded by Mr. Stanard for passage of Ordinance 2014-03. Mr. Stanard pointed out in Paragraph L, Section 5 “Findings for Recovery”; it refers to “Municipal Engineer” when it should refer to Walter|Haverfield. Mrs. Lane stated that the correction will be made. Mayor Renda stated that receiving the monthly statement of hours used will be a good way to evaluate how we use our legal services and determine if they are being used wisely. She stated that it will be most useful for staff; however she will periodically update Council on usage.

ORDINANCE 2014-04 – Introduced by Mr. Fritz
AN ORDINANCE AMENDING CHAPTER 1331, “LICENSING CONTRACTORS,” OF THE BUILDING CODE TO UPDATE THE BOND REQUIREMENT AND TO CHANGE THE TERM “LICENSE” TO “REGISTRATION,” AND DECLARING AN EMERGENCY.

Mr. Fritz stated Mr. Strichko, Building Inspector, has spent a lot of time updating the way permits are issued and the fees associated with them by doing comparative analysis locally, to determine what the Village is in line with and what it is deficient in. The permit fees and structure have been updated and this ordinance is a continuation of that process. It includes language clarification from “license” to “registration” because the State is actually the licensing body. Our $10,000 bond requirement was found to be low comparatively, so it has been increased to $20,000 for each different discipline, instead of one bond for all disciplines as it has been.

Mr. Fritz made a motion seconded by Mr. Richman to suspend the rules for Ordinance 2014-04.

Mr. Fritz made a motion seconded by Ms. Sturgis for passage of Ordinance 2014-04. Mr. Stanard stated that he has two concerns; if the job is relatively small, it will cost the resident more to hire a contractor that will be required to get a $20,000 bond and he also stated that he doesn’t believe it to be fair to a contractor doing a small job to pay the same amount for a bond as a contractor doing a much larger job. Also Section 1331.05 is unclear because it states only one bond is required for multiple disciplines whereas the rest of the legislation is requiring one bond for each discipline. Mrs. Lane stated that the language in Section 1331.05 can be modified. Mr. Filarski stated that the contractor is issued a general performance bond for his work in general, not specific to each job. He stated that no matter the size of the job, he will have a general bond showing that he is bonded by a surety company up to that amount, which usually is good for a year. Mr. Richman stated that his understanding is that the cost for these bonds for the contractor is not too expensive.

Mr. Richman stated that the Change Order is required because of the dedication of the River Mountain and Mountain View Drive, which was started after this program was underway. The roadway and culverts need to be brought up to Village specs, which the residents of those streets will eventually pay back to the Village. In the meantime, the additional work needs to be added for the amount of $20,650.00.

Mr. Richman made a motion seconded by Mr. Stanard to suspend the rules for Ordinance 2014-05.

ORDINANCE 2014-06 – Introduced by Mr. Fritz
AN ORDINANCE AUTHORIZING THE MAYOR TO ENTER INTO A CONTRACT WITH VANCUREN SERVICES, INC. FOR THE 2013 HAZARDOUS TREE AND STUMP REMOVAL PROGRAM AND DECLARING AN EMERGENCY.

Mr. Fritz stated that four competitive bids were received; however the lowest and best bid for the Hazardous Tree Program was from VanCuren in the amount of $43,510.00.

Mr. Fritz made a motion seconded by Mr. Stanard to suspend the rules for Ordinance 2014-06.

Mayor Renda stated that the reason the program includes stump grinding this year, unlike last year, is because residents were unable to plant where the trees were removed. She stated that many residents have also asked to replace the trees and since we have had pretty extensive tree cutting programs in the last few years, we will bring a tree replacement policy to committee in the future.

ORDINANCE 2014-07 – Introduced by Mr. Richman
AN ORDINANCE AUTHORIZING THE MAYOR TO PURCHASE A 2014 INTERNATIONAL TRUCK FROM RUSH TRUCK CENTER THROUGH THE STATE OF OHIO DEPARTMENT OF ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES COOPERATIVE PURCHASING PROGRAM; WAIVING COMPETITIVE BIDDING AND DECLARING AN EMERGENCY.

Mr. Richman stated that the next two ordinances are related; this one is for the purchase of a truck. The truck that is need of replacement is over 12 years old and has been repaired numerous times over the years. It is passed its useful life and has a number of safety hazards. The cost of the truck is $83,144.00.

Mr. Richman made a motion seconded by Mr. Fritz to suspend the rules for Ordinance 2014-07.

Mr. Richman made a motion seconded by Mr. Stanard for passage of Ordinance 2014-07. Mr. Stanard asked if the vehicle being replaced is being traded in. Mayor Renda stated that it is not, but will be sold at a later date. She stated that the current truck will be needed through the rest of this season and possibly the beginning of the next because the up-fitting installation takes quite a while.

ORDINANCE 2014-08 – Introduced by Mr. Richman
AN ORDINANCE AUTHORIZING THE MAYOR TO PURCHASE UP-FITTING EQUIPMENT FOR THE NEW 2014 INTERNATIONAL TRUCK CAB AND CHASSIS FROM CONCORD ROAD EQUIPMENT MFG., INC. THROUGH THE STATE OF OHIO DEPARTMENT OF ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES COOPERATIVE PURCHASING PROGRAM; WAIVING COMPETITIVE BIDDING AND DECLARING AN EMERGENCY.

Mr. Richman stated that this ordinance is in tandem with Ordinance 2014-07; it is for the up-fitting equipment for the truck which includes; salt spreader, chassis accessories, hydraulic system, electrical system, snow plow, hitch, and various other parts for a total cost of $83,020.65.

Mr. Richman made a motion seconded by Mr. Stanard to suspend the rules for Ordinance 2014-08.

ORDINANCE 2014-09 – Introduced by Mr. Richman
AN ORDINANCE AUTHORIZING THE VILLAGE TO BECOME A MEMBER OF THE NATIONAL JOINT POWERS ALLIANCE AND AUTHORIZING THE MAYOR TO PURCHASE A 2014 MACK LEU613R/H SIT DOWN DRIVE TRUCK WITH 28 YARD HEIL HALF/PACK RESIDENTIAL FRONT LOADER FROM BELL EQUIPMENT COMPANY THROUGH NJPA CONTRACT NO. 060612-ESG; WAIVING COMPETITIVE BIDDING, AND DECLARING AN EMERGENCY.

Mr. Richman stated that the first part of the Ordinance is to join the NJPA, which is the agency that allows the Village to purchase at a lower cost. The second part is the purchase of a fully-automated rubbish truck. He stated that the Roads & Safety Committee has discussed this previously and it was actually budgeted for last year, but obviously never purchased. The automated rubbish truck will make things safer and more efficient and is in line with our automated recycling program. The price for the truck is $286,116.17.

Mr. Richman made a motion seconded by Mr. Fritz to suspend the rules for Ordinance 2014-09.